What gas pressure does your utility supply

Tim Smith, the pressures

required for the Munchkin will suffice with 6" WC pressure. The proof is that a lot of them I have seen are running on 6" WC without a problem. You can confirm that with Heat Transfer Products.

The Revolution is not a commercial boiler it is residential unless something has changed. The required pressure for the Revolution from page 51 of their manual is 4.5" WC minimum inlet pressure. That is from thier publication 8140603R12-1/03. You can confirm that with Glenn Stanton from Burnham who posts here often.

Hope that solves your problem. Manufacturers pretty much have to comply with what gas utilities can give them on a national basis. We do have some pounds systems being used with CSST but it still has to drop to inches pressure before going to the equipment.

Tim Smith, I did some checking today

I can not find an Evolution boiler made by Burnham????? Is it brand new???? I was just at the factory and they did not talk about it????

As for pressure the utility providing 6" WC at the outlet of the meter should be more than adequate for any residential application. The allowable loss of .5 is calcualted into meter design and if piping is sized correctly you should have the same 6" WC pressure at the farthest appliance. The piping tables have allowable loss factors of either .3" WC or .5" WC these tables should provide for adequate piping as long as fittings are also calcualted into the sizing problem.

Pressure problems in most areas are not a continuing problem. They usually occur when peak demand is made on the system in extreme cold weather. In the older cities that still have cast iron systems with low pressure less tha 1/2 LB usually 7" to 10" WC.

I really do not think this is a problem for residental systems. For commercial systems you may need higher pressures depending on equipment design. In my sons new house we had to have a seperate meter with higher pressure for his natural gas generator. The local utility handled it with out a problem.

The question about low pressure affecting the customers meter measurement. The meter will only measure as much gas as can pass through it. If the pressure is lower then BTU's to equipment is affected and greater demand may be placed on the system but you are still only paying for what goes thorough the meter. As I mentioned earlier this is not a wide spread or frequent problem. When mixing of propane and air takes place when demand is high the same quality of gas supply is tried to be met. In many areas of the country during peak demand they use LNG (liquified natural gas) to satisfy peak demand. The quality of LNG is exactly the same as natual gas as it is just vaporized into the piping distribution system.

American Meter

engineering division answered me this way. Let us say an AC-250 meter designed to measure between 60 cubic feet to 250 cubic feet will with any pressure applied within those operating parameters operate with an accuracy of within .1%, when flow goes below the 60 cubic foot level down to say a gas pilot the accuracy goes to .3%. When flow exceeeds the capacity of the meter or at capacity it moves faster and its accuracy favors the customer at about .3%. So all domestic meters are set up to be very accurate relative to the flow through the meter. The curve of accurcy relative to pressure and flow is designed to balance out over the operating parameters of the meter. It is however a very small difference. The only affect pressure has is to decrease flow to the appliance. The specific gravity and BTU content do not change.

The accuracy of meters has to be within + or - 2% over a 7 to 10 year period. They are usaully removed and tested somewhere with in that time frame. Most local public utility departments require this accuracy.

Larger meters used for commercial and industrial use may have correctors placed on the meters in order to make measurement more accurate especilly with high flow. In some cases diaphragm meters can not be used and rotary meters are more accurate.

Just about all meters today are temperature compensated to measure as though the temp was always 60 degrees.

Reduced pressure does not always cause a definite problem as long as the pressure stays within required outlet pressure say 3.5" WC + allowable loss through the gas valve (a maximum of 1" WC). so if 4 to 4.5" WC can be maintained at the inlet the equipment will function correctly.

Just one other point that I agree with and that is the increased sale/give away of gas equipment including decorative appliances (very inefficient). The failure to determine if the gas distribution system can maintain such increases needs to be addressed. With the present cost of gas and inability in certain areas to maintain pressure in high demand periods should curtail the use of decorative appliances, pool heaters, gas lights etc. We also should not be using natural gas to produce electricity.

Tim and Tim

The Evolution boiler is made by Thermal Solutions which is a division of Burnham Holdings. I'm not sure where this job is located, but to date, I know of no areas where the gas pressure has been insufficient for these to operate since the pressure to the meter is generally greater than 9" w.c. in most areas. My suggestion would to be to contact Kim LaBarre at Thermal Solutions and discuss this with him. He can be reached through our main switchboard at (717) 397-4701 at extension 3605. I have also attached the link to the Thermal Solutions website. Hope this helps.

http://www.thermalsolutions.com

Glenn Stanton

Burnham Hydronics

Tim Smith and Glenn

I must say Glenn that other than low pressure areas that have say 7" to 10" WC unregulated then getting more than 6" WC at the outlet of the meter in high pressure areas is a problem. The utilities are very hesitant to boost regulated pressures above that point. They will for a charge (usually high) give elevated pressure for special commercial and industrial applications. If the gas into a commercial area is already set up for higher pressure some 2lb and 5lb systems after the metering it is not a problem and you can get special appliance regulators from Maxitrol to give higher pressures at the equipment.

My son was able in Rehobeth, Mass (Bay State Gas) able to get a special regulator/meter set up for his natural gas generator to get 14" WC pressure. It took a little calling in of some favors to get it done.